Kolkata, Feb 19 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has attacked the Centre alleging it has kept secret the fact about the two damaged sluice gates at the Farakka Barrage resulting in Bangladesh getting more than its share. "It seems that there is deliberate and highly irresponsible move to keep the matter a secret. It was only when the level of the Bhairathi river (in Murshidabad district) started falling that we realised something was amiss," Banerjee said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the contents of which were known today. "There is a mischief afoot and a criminal conspiracy cannot be ruled out," she said in her letter. "It appears that Farakka Barrage water stock would continue to be depleted with the sole beneficiary being Bangladesh," her letter said. She said Bangladesh was supposed to get 35,000 cusecs during the dry season as per the Indo-Bangladesh Ganges water agreement but it was getting 82,801 cusecs due to the drainage of water from the Farakka barrage due to breaking down of two sluice gates. "Fall in water level will put in serious jeopardy the Kolkata and Haldia ports due to increase in the level of siltation and impediments in navigation channel adversely affecting the lives of lakhs of people," the letter said. Sluice gate number 13 of the barrage had broken down on June 16 last year and gate number 16 on December 9, officials said.
